Twice this year (in May and again this month), the County Board scheduled, but then postponed, a vote on a County staff recommendation to extend parking meter hours from 6-8 p.m.. The Board should just say NO.
Background
Opinion
Chronic delays, minor incidents fouling up entire rush hour commutes and long waits on the weekends have become the norm with Washington’s once-gleaming subway system. It’s the result, many say, of deferred maintenance and a lack of investment in the system’s upkeep.
Metro says it’s trying to catch up, but even the maintenance is causing problems. This weekend alone, “reconstruction of the Metrorail system” will result in “service adjustments” on every line other than the Green Line. The Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow and Red lines will all see 24 minute headways between trains.
The following letter to the editor was submitted by Kathleen McLean, an Arlington resident who lives near Tuckahoe Elementary School.
As a constituent in Virginia’s 8th district who cares deeply about animals, it was hard to believe that Congressman Moran’s successor would be as concerned about animal welfare issues as Representative Moran was. Congressman Beyer, however, has proven time and again since he took office that he sincerely cares about animal welfare and is willing to fight for those beliefs.
Columbus Day may be a federal holiday, but it seems that with every passing year it becomes less relevant. Arlington County offices, for instance, remain open on Columbus Day. Purely anecdotal evidence — the volume of rush hour traffic on I-395 — seems to suggest that Columbus Day is the least observed federal holiday, at least in terms of workers taking the day off.
The root cause of this is Columbus and his legacy: the soldiers he led to the New World enslaved, raped, slaughtered and otherwise destroyed native populations. In recent years, the reality of Columbus’ harsh treatment of natives has increasingly outweighed his accomplishments in the collective consciousness.
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(Updated at 11:30 p.m.) Thousands of runners will descend on the Pentagon for the 31st annual Army Ten Miler.
The race takes runners from Arlington to D.C. and back to the Pentagon for the finish line. Registration is closed for the event, but people can still go down to the Pentagon to cheer on runners and listen to different bands that will be playing every two miles along the course.
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In a bizarre 3-2 vote last month, the County Board barely upheld the ability of a Courthouse dental practice to stay in business. By all indications, this is a thriving practice that provides a needed service for the community.
The renewal of a 22 year-old exemption allowing for a dental office in the location was being discussed as part of a site plan review. County staff pointed out that the dental office complied with the county’s new retail action plan.
Starting in summer 2015, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been holding a series of public meetings on VDOT’s proposal to impose tolls during rush hour on I-66. VDOT’s proposal has generated substantial support from smart growth advocates. They argue that this proposal is far preferable to the status quo.
However, on Oct. 1, Virginia Republican legislative leaders held a press conference to condemn VDOT’s proposal:
Arlington’s dignified new Homeless Services Center (HRC) opened Oct. 1 — ironically, on a day that would cause only the strongest of us to stay outside.
Steady, storm-driven rain had begun as over 400 guests took the elevator to the second floor of the new facility in the Courthouse area.
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National Weather Service is predicting the county will see a couple inches of rain over the weekend, with the heaviest rain today and tomorrow. Arlington is under a flash flood warning through Saturday evening.
The county is urging people to prepare for continued heavy rain due to the nor’easter. Wind speeds are predicted to pick up tonight and Saturday, with gusts as fast as 31 miles per hour. The storm may cause trees to fall, causing power outages and safety hazards.
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Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s organization or of ARLnow.com.
“When women succeed, America succeeds.”
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The Right Note is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.
Earlier this week, ARLnow ran a piece on Barbara Donnellan’s comments on the loss of public trust in relation to big ticket projects. The entire video interview with Donnellan provides an interesting insight into how the former County Manager did her job. Donnellan had 32 years of experience in the Arlington County government, so she has a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge to share.
Is Airbnb legal in Arlington? It’s hard to tell, and that’s a problem.
Airbnb certainly is doing business in Arlington. Airbnb’s website currently boasts 300+ Arlington rentals, including: